Southern California Home with a Blue-and-White Palette

Like most mothers, Catherine Miller can wrangle a to-do list like nobody’s business. Research summer camp for the twins, check. Schedule college visits for graduating daughter, check. Buy new putter for golfer son, check. Find time for school fundraisers, dental appointments, and building a house. Check, check, and check.

Yes, you read that right. Catherine builds houses, including the sprawling abode where she lives with her husband, Craig, and their four children. As a licensed general contractor, Catherine, an unusual player in the male-dominated field of construction, is an expert at the nuts and bolts (and floor joists and two-by-fours) of building. She started her business in 1997, and almost two decades later offers a full range of services—finding properties, constructing houses, and then adding the finishing touches of furniture, accessories, and artwork.

Per Catherine’s direction, Atlanta-based architect William Harrison created a Connecticut farmhouse-style plan that would wrap the Hidden Hills, California, corner lot. The house is affectionately dubbed “Inn on the Green” by the Millers, who all golf regularly.

“I was the one who loved my Lincoln Logs just as much as my Barbie Dream House,” Catherine reminisces of her early affinity for the construction process. “I studied interior design in college but with an emphasis on construction management. After working as a project manager at commercial construction companies, I wanted to be licensed so I could grow my own business.”

Hickory White’s substantial three-drawer chest in the entry hall offers a preview of the warm wood tones in the nearby den.

When it came time to break ground on the corner lot where her own family’s home would sit in Hidden Hills, a gated equestrian enclave north of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley, Catherine took the five “clients” whom she wakes up with every morning every bit as seriously as all the other people she serves.

For example, before the “pretty” factor of hardwood floors and dynamic artwork ever came into play, Catherine paid close attention to exactly how the house would sit on its two-acre corner lot. She positioned the entrance so that it faces the corner, which allows the structure to extend in either direction. “I have four active children who love playing sports,” Catherine explains. “It’s important that I can catch a glimpse of them in the backyard from anywhere in the house.”

Creamy white furnishings and navy accents set the tone in the formal living room, where walls wear just a whisper of blue.

A classic blue-and-white palette infuses rooms throughout the house so they speak the same language, but with slightly different dialects. Case in point: In the family room, statement paisley fabrics steal the show. But the dining room adopts a quieter approach that complements the blue-and-white scheme via compatible colors.

A comfortable sofa and lounge chairs in the family room contrast with shapely spool-back chairs. All are from Hickory Chair.

When Catherine built her family home, she wanted a place where she and Craig could unwind. Her attention to detail resulted in calm, private spots for the couple as well as places that are meant to erupt with the joyful noise of growing kids and their friends.

Ladderback chairs gather around the the dining table in the breakfast room where the blue-and-white palette is still at play thanks to decorative ginger jars and upholstered host chairs and seat cushions.

A number of outdoor living areas line the house’s exterior. Most notable is the loggia, where the Millers frequently entertain. The seating area boasts Lane Venture furniture covered in white fabric and piped in blue.

“The best part about this house is that it allows us to enjoy life with so many people around us,” says Catherine. “We love to throw gatherings—from holiday celebrations to themed parties such as sushi and casino nights. We once even loaded the swimming pool with 200 inflatable red lobsters for a summer lobster boil. When I see so many people here, I know I’m home.”

The Sidecar, price available upon request from Moore & Giles [1-800-737-0169]

This beautifully crafted bar cart, The Sidecar by Moore and Giles, is a great way to store liquor, glassware, bar tools, and anything else needed to complete your own miniature bar. The cart, made of Virginia black walnut, birch, leather, aluminum, and brass, is wheeled to make sure the party can travel with you. Perfect for drink-lovers without the space for a full bar.